OBJECTIVES:
- Plan our artwork for maximum effect
- Create clear, attractive, and readable artwork
What’s the secret to producing clear, readable pages? P.I.E.!
P.I.E.
This acronym stands for …
-
P = PENCIL!
Use your pencil to sketch out your artwork and writing. Draw lightly, because you’ll be erasing most of those lines eventually. Also, remember your margins!
-
I = INK!
Using your pen and marker (or brush, or other inking tool), go over your artwork and make it black and white. The high contrast of paper and ink makes your artwork more crisp and visible. -
E = ERASE!
Now go back over your artwork, and carefully erase all visible pencil lines. Those pencil lines might or might not show up in reproduction, whether you’re photocopying or digitally scanning your artwork. Here’s a good, safe rule of thumb: If you want it in your artwork, INK IT; if you don’t want it in your artwork, ERASE IT.(Oops, you missed a spot there… You’ll always have a little more erasing to do!)
We use P.I.E. to help us remember these three steps.Â
Of course, sometimes we like to add in another “p” like this: P.p.I.E.
That second “p” stands for “proofread”, which has to happen before you ink! Ask your friend or an experienced comics creator to look over your work and give you some feedback.
